Automatic steam-trap.



w', TELFBP.. AUTOMATIG STEAM TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED IAY 14, 1910. v 1,1 O5, 1 12. Patented July 28, 1914,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INUENTDH' Wilton. 'Ifer WMM/f WITNSSES THE NDRRIS PETES CO.,PHOTU-LITHU.. WASHINGTON. D. C.

W. TBLPER. AUTOMATIC STEAM TRAP. ArPmoA'TIoN Hmm In 14. 1910.

Patented July 28, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UJITNEESEE TTM" INUENTDH M/ton Tegfer WILTON TEI'IFER, 0FWINNIFEG,'1VIANITOBA, CANADA.

AUTOMATIC STEAM-TRAP.

specification ofretters raam.`

Application filed May 14, 1910. Serial No. 561,499.

Patented July 28, .1914.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILToN TELFER, of the city of Vinnipeg, intheProvince of Manitoba, Canada, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in. Automatic Steam- Traps, of which the following is thespeciication.

My invention relates to automaticsteam traps particularly adapted foruse in either direct or indirect systems of steam heating principally inconnection with railroad coaches.

The object of the invention is to provide an automatic self regulatingsteam trap which will drain olf condensed steam7 suchy tom-thereof, acylindrical casing'having a hollow interior, and `provided with aremovable top, the.' casing being connected to the steam pipe through aball rand socket joint, a valve playing over a valve seat located in thebottomfof the casing, the valve stem extending downwardly and engagingnormally with the bottom of thereservoir', a

bridge spanning the valve, a thermostat centered on the bridge, aspringpassing bef` tween they thermostat andthe cover ofthe casing, and ahollow adjustable tube passing upwardly through the cover and carryingat its lower end a valve seat engageable with the upperfaceoflthethermostat, the parts being arranged and constructed ashereinafter `more particularly. described.

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view centrally through the reservoir,the cylindrical casing being shown therein in side elevation. Fig. 2 isa horizontal sectional view through the reservoir and -casing,thesectionbeing taken in the plane denoted` by the line X X@ Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is avertical sectional view centrally through the casing.V Fig. 4 `is a planview of the valve and `bridge detached from the casing. Fig. 5 vis asectional view f of the ball and socket joint.

re'ctly beneath `the bridge.

In the-drawings like characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in each figure..

1 represents .a receptacle of any suitable formhaving a removable top 2and'provided with a threaded opening 8 centrally and at one side whichreceives a steam pipe line 4 which lit will be'understood communi-rcates directly with the various radiators located within ka car. Thecasing is secured to a car in any kconvenient place so that anycondensed liquidv in the pipe 4 drains to it by gravity; The covercarries ai screw plug 5 which is located directly over the kcylindricalcasing shortly to be described. The bottom ofthe receptacle is providedwitha downwardly directed. portion 1" in which is located centrallyadraining opening 12 having an outwardly flaring upper end 13 from whichpasses ducts 1t surrounding the central opening. It is to be understoodthat the portion 1 with the opening and ducts can be` formed `integralwith the bottom or sepa-y rately so as to screw to the same. Within thereservoir I have located a hollow cylindrical casing 6 having aremovable top 7 and provided with a screw threaded opening 8 in thebottom thereof for a purpose later eX- plained. y The casing isconnected to the receptacle by suitablehollowr pipes `9 and 10 unitedthe one to the other by a-ball and socket joint 11.y The pipe 10communicates with the pipe 4 so that there is a direct passage forsteamthrough the pipe 4 to the interior of the casing.

, 12 is a bridge carried by the annular member 13 which has its innerand outer faces threaded,l the outer face being adapted to screw intothebpen end' 8 yof the casing already referred to..` i

14 is a'valve seat screwing into the mem" ber 13 and providedr-centrally with a spider 15 .which carries slidably the stem 16 of thevalve 17 which plays on thevalve seat di- The bridge'is formed with asoclret'lS on which'is centered a thermostat 19 partially filled withvan eX# pansible and contractible liquid 20. The thermostat is held inposition by a spring 21 whichk passes between the upperface thereof andthe cover 7.

22 'is a hollow ktube threaded into the cover 7 of the casing andheldin'any desired adjusted position by a lock nut 23. The tube hassuitable niches 24 supplied in its upper end `whereby itcan beconveniently turned by a screw driver. The lower end of the tube isthreaded at 25 and receives a threaded band 26 having an inwardlydirected ange 27 thereon with a beveled edge which receives and holdsthe valve seat 28 tightly to the lower end of the tube. The valve seat28 has an opening centrally which is continuous with the opening in thetube. The thermostat is adapted to seat on the valve seat 28.

29 is an adjusting screw threaded into the bridge 12 and adapted toengage with the upper face of the valve to limit its displacement.

30 are opposing guideways formed in the sides of the reservoir suchguideways receiving projecting portions 31 extending from the casing.

lVhen the device is to be used the tube 23 is adjusted by removing thescrew plug 5 and inserting a screw driver so that the thermostat willseat at any desired temperature. The screw 29 is adjusted so that thevalve will seat at any desired pressure.

When the device is installed the casing rests in its lower positionwithin the reservoir, that is, with the stem 16of the valve engagingwith the bottom of the reservoir so that the valve is open or away fromthe valve seat. o

When steam is first turned into the heating jacket 6, it is condensed bycontact with the cold circulating water, and the waterof condensationlpasses through the valve 17, which at this stage is raised to the limitalv lowed by the set screw 29, the casing 6 being in its lowermostposition. lThe diaphragm 19 is at this time contracted to its smallestsize and held away from the valve seat 2S by the spiral spring 21. Inthis position the water of condensation is free to drain through boththe lower and. upper outlets 14 and 22 respectively. AAs the steamincreases in heat and pressure, there is a partial escape around thevalve 17 and through passage 22, but as the diaphragm 19 expands, thepassage through 22 is closed, and the pressure of steam against the areaof the casing 6 above the valve 17 lifts the casing and closes the exitaround valve 17. The casing remains in this raised position as long asthere is steam in the trap, but when the temperature is lowered to theregulated point the diaphragm contracts and in so doing opens the topvalve thereby relieving the pressure. The casing immediately fallsfollowing the drop in pressure, the weight of the casing and the weightof the water of condensation therein being both instrument-al ineffecting this lowering. lVhen the casing drops the valve 17 is openedby the engagement of the stem 16 with the bottom of the reservoir. Thewater collected in the reservoir drains constantly from it through theopening 12 but in eX- tremely cold weather there is the possibility ofthis opening being closed by the water freezing at the outlet. If thistake place the unfrozen water will flood the opening and escape throughthe ducts 14 which surround the opening. The effect of this will be thatthe opening will be thawed out by the heated water in the ductssutliciently to remove the ice clogged therein, so that the water canflow again freely through the central opening. If perchance the water inthe ducts freeze it will be thawed out by the heated water passingthrough the central opening 12.

In order to avoid any possibility of water remaining in the pipe 4, thatis, between the radiators and the casing I have considered it advisableto pass a small air pipe 32 from the radiator farthest from the trap tothe boss in which is formed the opening 3. This will prevent any vacuumin the pipe 4 which would tend to retain water in the pipe after lthevalves are open to drain. Assuming a car detached and the valves of thetrap open there would be initially a flow of condensed steam, i. c.,water, through the valve 17 which might possibly stop through a vacuumbeing formed in the pipe 4 near the radiators which would stop the flowand thereby allow the water to be frozen in the pipes. The pipe 32however `avoids this possibility as it prevents any vacuum forming andconsequently insures the complete draining of the water.

Vhat I claim as my invention is:

1. A steam trap comprising a cylindrical casing for the reception ofsteam and liquid, a pressure operated valve controlling the escape ofliquid from the casing, a thermostat suspended within the casing, and avalve seat located above the thermostat and adapted to engage with thesame when the thermostat is expanded, as and for the purpose specified.

2. A steam trap comprising a receptacle, a

cylindrical casing within the receptacle for the recept-ion of steam andliquid, such casing being movable, a pressure operated valve carried bythe casing and having the stem thereof engageable with the bottom of thereceptacle, such valve being open when the casing is in the lowestposition within the receptacle, a thermostat located within the casing,and a valve seat upon which the thermostat seats, as and for the purposespecified.

3.11 steam trap comprising a closed receptacle, a hollow casing withinthe receptacle for the reception of steam and liquid, said casing beingconnected to the receptacle walls by pipes united with a ball and socketjoint, a pressure valve operating in an opening formed in the bottom ofthe casing and adapted to be opened when the casing is in the lowestposition within the receptacle, a thermostat supported within thecasing, and

a hollow tube passing upwardly through the top of the casing, such tubebeing provided with a Valve seat at its lower end engageable with theupper face of the thermostat, as

and for the purpose specified.

4. A steam trap comprising a closed receptacle, a hollow casing withinthe receptacle for the reception kof steam and liquid, said casing beingconnected to the receptacle walls by pipes united with a ball and socketjoint, a valve playing over a valve seat formed in the bottom of thecasing, such valve having a stein extending downwardly and engaging withthe bottom of the receptacle, and being open when the casing isv in thelowest position, a tube carried by the top of the casing and passing tothe interior thereof, said tube having a valve seat formed at the lowerend thereof, and a thermostat located within the casing and engageablewhen expanded with the valve seat, as and for the purpose specilied.

5. A steam trap comprising a receptacle, a hollow movable casing withinthe receptacle fitted with a top and bottom and secured to the casingwalls through a suitable liexible joint, such casing being for thereception of steam and liquid, a removable valve seat located in thebottom of the casing, a vertically slidable valve operating in the valveseat and having a downwardly projecting stem engageable with the bottomof the receptacle, an adjustable tube carried by the top of the casingand passing to the interior thereof, a valve seat located at the lowerend of the tube and having an opening therein continuous with theopening in the tube, and a thermostat within the casing adapted toengage when expanded with the latter valve seat, as` and for the purposespecified.

G. A steam trap comprising a receptacle, a hollow casing within thereceptacle having a top` and bottom, the top bein removable and thebottom being provi ed centrally with a threaded opening, said casingkbeing adapted to receive steam and liquid.

and being connected iexibly through pipes with the casing, an annularmemberthreaded into the opening in the bottom of the casing, suchannular member carrying a t bridge provided with a socket, a valve seatthreaded within the annular member and beneath the bridge, such valveseat carrying a spider, a valve playing over the valve seat and havingthe stem thereof passing slidably through the spider and engageable withthe bottom of the receptacle, a thermostat wit-hin the casing andcentered in the socket, a. hollow adjustable tube carried by the coverand passing to the interior of the casing, a removable valve seatcarried at the upper end of the tube and having centrally an openingcommunicating with the opening in the tube, and-a spring interposedbetween the face of the thermostat and the top of the easing, as and forthe purpose speciied.

7. `In asteam trap a receptacle having "a projecting portion passingfrom the bot-v tom thereof provided with a central opening passing' tothe interior and ducts surrounding the opening, and passing also to theexterior, as and'for the purpose speciiied.

8. In a steam trap a receptacle carrying Copies of this patent may beobtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G."

